Forest & Wildlife Health

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal, contagious, neurodegenerative disease that affects members of the deer family. CWD is caused by a misfolded protein called a prion (pronounced “pree-on”) and belongs in a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). TSEs are similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE; aka mad cow disease). As of early 2025, CWD has been confirmed in wild, free-ranging cervids in 36 states and four Canadian provinces across North America.

A deer infected with CWD goes through an incubation period and may not show any symptoms or signs of being infected for several months or even years. Eventually, CWD causes deterioration of the brain and nervous tissue, resulting in emaciation, excessive drooling, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions, and eventually death.

There are no known treatments for CWD, and all infected deer will eventually die from the disease unless they die by other means first (e.g., automobile collision, harvest, predation, etc.). CWD prions are extremely resistant to normal methods of disinfection and are very difficult to destroy once in the environment.

CWD can be transmitted from deer-to-deer through contact with saliva, blood, urine, and feces. Prions can also persist in the environment from the natural decomposition of CWD-infected deer carcasses. The prions can bind to the soil and other forms of particulate matter and can remain viable in the environment for years or even decades. Human activity has likely been the primary cause of long-distance spread of CWD. Humans can contribute to the spread of CWD by transporting CWD-infected animals from one place to another. This includes the transport of deer or deer parts that are harvested during the hunting season and the sale of live deer, deer parts, and deer products (e.g., urine, antlers) by the captive deer farm industry. 

Although there seems to be a relatively strong species barrier between CWD-infected cervids and humans, the risk to humans is not zero. Other types of prion diseases have made the jump to humans, causing symptoms similar to dementia. We do not yet have a full understanding of the long-term effects that exposure and/or consumption might have on humans. Currently health officials recommend against handling or consuming any meat from animals that could be infected with CWD. 

GLIFWC's mission statement includes a directive to “protect ecosystems in recognition that fish, wildlife and wild plants cannot long survive in abundance in an environment that has been degraded.” The degradation of native ecosystems by invasive species poses a serious threat to the continued exercise of treaty-reserved rights and the traditional lifeways they sustain.  

For this reason, GLIFWC’s invasive species program has set goals and objectives for education outreach, early detection/rapid response, control and management, and coordination of these activities with tribes, government agencies and groups. These activities have expanded over the years to address the growing impacts of invasive species on Ceded Territory resources. Below you can learn more about each of GLIFWC goals and objectives for invasive species management.

You may see references to invasive species as bakaan ingoji gaa-ondaadag or non-local beings. This is the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) term to describe plants, animals, bugs, and beings alike that have migrated from their native range (often overseas and involuntarily) to new and unfamiliar ecosystems. The term bakaan ingoji gaa-ondaadag  is used to replace the term "invasive species" in effort to detach any negative connotations along with their name. This reflects the Anishinaabe belief that all beings on the earth have specific instruction on how to live in equal importance to each other.

GLIFWC's mission statement commits “to the preservation and enhancement of the natural resources so harvest opportunities will be available for generations to come.” The forests within the ceded territory are the home to many culturally important beings and provide a location for tribal members to practice their treaty reserved rights. The Forest Ecology Program strives to work on a landscape level scale to incorporate indigenous views and preserve ecological integrity.  

The Forest Ecology Program integrates tribal values and Traditional Ecological Knowledge into modern language within land management plans. The goals are to promote individual beings, ecosystem types, and certain biological functions to foster diverse and resilient natural communities. Promoting ecological diversity helps ensure that beings can survive within the ceded territory for future generations.

Forestry is the science or practice of planting, managing, and caring for forests. Our program encourages a variety of forestry practices to care for resources within the ceded territory. Modern forestry uses timber harvesting to influence the diversity of timbered ecosystems, but it will result in renewal and regeneration of forest beings. The use of prescribed fire or mechanical treatment can create soil scarification to ensure regeneration of beings that require bare mineral soil to germinate.

Forestry practices have direct effects on wildlife species because each living being responds differently to forest structures. Young forests are plentiful in food sources for beings like white-tailed deer and roughed grouse. Forest birds are another being that responds to managed forests. Hydrological processes are impacted by forestry practices and will have an impact on fish beings.

GLIFWC and member tribes work directly with the US-Forest Service to protect or enhance forest structure to protect culturally significant areas or beings. Tribal members use national forests to collect medicines, gather food, and practice cultural heritage. Promoting and protecting specific resources is accomplished though collaborative efforts between GLIFWC, member tribes, and the Forest Service.

GLIFWC’s Forest Ecology Program works diligently to bring the voices and concerns of our member tribes to the forefront of collaboration efforts with state and federal land management agencies. GLIFWC operates under the delegated authority from our member tribes to represent their interests and concerns.